~ reviews, insights, experiences

2012 Reading Challenges Wrap Up

Way back at the beginning of the year, last year that is, I had big plans. I teamed up with Melissa from My Worlds…in words and pages to host a couple of reading challenges. Then I sort of tanked on reading and blogging as other real life things got in the way. Well, today, I’m going to share the pithy progress I made on both of the challenges below:

First up, the YA Spec Fiction reading challenge. I was big on the YA titles in 2011, so I figured this one would be a breeze. Turns out, not so much. I have some great books here, I’m sure, but I got a bit disillusioned with the younger titles and focused most of my reading time on more adult titles, particularly in the romance category.

Here’s my (incredibly) small list for this challenge:

1- Black Heart by Holly Black
2- Everneath by Brodi Ashton

I’m happy to say, they were both great books but that marks the end of that section ;p

For the A to Z one, I may have had enough reads in 2012 to do the alphabet twice over had I been paying attention to the titles I was reading, but I didn’t. As I type up this post, it’ll be my first look at what I actually managed. I’ll bet there’s lots of repetitive letter in there :D

Anyway, here goes:

A: —-B:Beautiful Bastard by Christina LaurenBreakfast in Bed by Robin KayeBlood Rites by Jim ButcherBeautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuireBared to You by Sylvia DayBlack Heart by Holly BlackBlood and Bullets by James R. TuckThe Beggar’s Opera by Peggy BlairC:Chasing Magic by Stacia KaneChairman of the Whored by Lucy V. MorganD:Dead Beat by Jim ButcherThe Dead I Know by Scot GardnerDead to You by Lisa McMannE:Everneath by Brodi AshtonEleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLeanF:Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. JamesFifty Shades Darker by E.L. JamesG:Grave Memory by Kalayna PriceGrave Witch by Kalayna PriceH:The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony HorowitzI:In Rides Trouble by Julie Ann WalkerImproper Relations by Juliana RossJ:Just for Fun by Erin NicholasK:The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa GregoryL: —-M:The Marriage Trap by Jennifer ProbstThe Marriage Bargain by Jennifer ProbstMidnight’s Master by Donna GrantN:Night’s Darkest Embrace by Jeaniene FrostA Night of Southern Comfort by Robin CovingtonO:On Dublin Street by Samantha YoungOn the Island by Tracey Garvis-GravesThe Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh by Ros ClarkeP: —-Q: —-R: —-S:Start Me Up by Victoria DahlSacrificial Magic by Stacia KaneThe Sense of an Ending by Julian BarnesThe Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. SmithThe Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWittT:Try Me by Diane AlbertsTalk Me Down by Victoria DahlTrue Connections by Clarissa YipTable for One by Ros ClarkeU: —-V:Vanity Fare by Megan CaldwellW:Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max BrooksY: —-Z: —-

Okay, so I did better than I was expecting but with only 8 letter not spoken for, I could’ve hit this one out of the park! I managed the Alphabet Soup category in this challenge, though, so I’ll totally take it! As for my reviews of these books, well, they’re kind of all over the place or not yet written. (I’ll try to get back to link up the ones that are done.)

I think this is a neat way to maybe find some new titles based solely on the fact that it starts with a certain letter. I might try to keep track of my 2013 reads this way too, see if I can make it all the way this year.

How did all of you do with any challenges you might have been participating in? Do you have any recommendations for the letters I missed? (I had “L” covered but I didn’t finish the story in time :P ) Have you found anything interesting to join in on this year? I’d love to hear!